By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com
November 5, 2009
Iowa health officials have confirmed the first official case of the 2009 H1NI influenza virus in a cat.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Tuesday said a 13-year-old indoor cat had contracted the virus from someone in its household.
This was a human-to-feline transfer of the virus, thats what we believe happened, IDPH veterinarian, Dr. Ann Garvey, told ConsumerAffairs.com today. There were two people in the household with symptoms of the virus.
It is not common for cats to get the influenza A virus, she added. (But) this is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past. There have been cases of cats getting the H5N1 Avian strain. And in those cases, there was no evidence that the cats transferred the virus back to humans. The cats became a dead-end host.
The Iowa cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses, Dr. Garvey said, and there are no signs the feline passed the virus to other people or animals.
Before this diagnosis, however, health officials had confirmed the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in ferrets, pigs, and birds.
Dr. Garvey said the Iowa cat had symptoms that are similar to humans with the H1NI virus: malaise, loss of appetite, and respiratory issues. The cat, however, did not have a fever, she said.
The cats owners took the feline to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, where it tested positive for the H1N1 virus.
The test results came back late last week, Garvey said, adding veterinarians gave the feline supportive care and made sure it did not become dehydrated. Those tests were confirmed earlier this week.
To protect your familys pets from contracting the H1N1 virus, Dr. Garvey recommended the same common sense measures used to prevent exposure of the illness in humans:
• Wash your hands frequently;
• Cover your mouth when you cough and your nose when you sneeze;
• Minimize your contact with your dogs, cats, or other household pets if you have any flu-like symptoms
Pet owners who notice any signs of respiratory illness or other influenza-like symptoms in their animals should contact their veterinarians, Dr. Garvey said.
Meanwhile, the American Veterinary Medical Association is now tracking all cases of H1N1 in animals and will post updates on its Web site.
